Ajit Agarkar Questions Selection: Anshul Kamboj Over Border-Gavaskar Star

Former India batter Aakash Chopra has criticised the team management’s decision to include pacer Anshul Kamboj in the Test squad ahead of Harshit Rana. Kamboj was added to the squad as an injury replacement amid uncertainity over Akash Deep‘s participation in the 4th Test. Left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh has already been ruled out of the match at Manchester’s Old Trafford due to a hand injury. However, Chopra questioned the selectors over the lack of clarity behind the call, recalling how Harshit was asked to stay back in England after the unofficial Test series, only to be released later on.

“Harshit Rana is not there. Now you have to wonder, what actually goes on? How do you determine who to keep and who to let go of? If you talk about performances for India A, Anshul’s performance was better, but you kept Harshit Rana looking at continuity,” Chopra said in a video on his YouTube channel.

Chopra said that while Kamboj deserves his spot, the selectors should’ve included Harshit for continuity.

“If that was the case, then you should have kept Harshit Rana now as well. But he is not there; Anshul Kamboj is there. No clarity whatsoever. Maybe the management knows, but nobody is telling us anything. This comes as no surprise. Anshul Kamboj was deserving; he is now with the team,” he added.

Rana, who played two Tests in Australia with modest results, was a part of India A squad but hardly made an impact in the unofficial Test against England Lions in Canterbury where he was hit for 99 runs for a solitary wicket in 27 overs.

The 23-year-old Rana, a protege of head coach Gautam Gambhir, is a bustling hit-the-deck bowler who hit the headlines with a lovely off-cutter which breached Travis Head‘s defence in Perth.

However, over time it has been evident that he is not ready to play top flight red-ball cricket and is a work in progress.

Kamboj, on the other hand, is expected to make his Test debut when the fourth Test starts in Old Trafford on Wednesday, July 23.

(With PTI Inputs)